Henry and Robert Titheridge's journey - from Winchester to Ballarat in 1856

Winchester Cathedral
where Henry and Robert's father, Daniel, was a verger

In 1856 21 year Henry Titheridge and 18 year old Robert Titheridge took the decision to leave Winchester in Hampshire and sail to Australia to join elder brother Alfred who had emigrated two years earlier.  Alfred’s story has been told in the previous blog. 

Henry and Robert left their parents, Daniel and Charlotte Titheridge, and their six year old brother Daniel in Winchester.  On 5 September 1856 at 3 o’clock they sailed off from Liverpool aboard the Marco Polo to their new life 10,500 miles away in Australia. They arrived in Melbourne after 3 months at sea, arriving on 6 December 1856.  We do not know if they stayed in Melbourne, where brother Alfred was living, but by 1860 there is record of Robert in Ballarat, Victoria and by 1863 records show that Henry was in Ballarat too.

Ballarat was a town in Victoria, Australia situated 60 miles from Melbourne on the Yarrowee River.  The area was first settled by sheep herders in 1838 but the area developed rapidly after rich alluvial gold was discovered in 1851, within days of the announcement of gold the gold rush began. As news of the gold reached the world Ballarat experienced a huge influx of immigrants, as the gold ran dry many settlers moved on to other fields.  The city earnt the nickname the golden city in the 1880s. Ballarat grew from its founding in 1852 to a city by 1870 and it is the largest inland city in Australia.  Although the alluvial gold was soon exhausted underground mining continued until 1918. This was city where both Henry and Robert settled.

Henry’s Story

On the 1851 census in Winchester Henry’s trade was an apprentice tailor, an occupation he pursued in Ballarat.  On 29 June 1863 Henry married Louisa Bush in Ballarat.  They went on to have seven children, 5 boys and two girls between the years 1864 and 1874.  One boy and one girl died in childhood.  The children were:

Rhoda Maria Titheridge born 1864 died 1893

Walter Titheridge born 1865 died 1934

Daniel Carey Titheridge born 1867 died 1944

Frederick Titheridge born 1869 died 1903

Edward Titheridge born 1871 died 1878

William Titheridge born 1872 died 1952

Ann Titheridge born 1874 died 1875

Of the surviving five children all married.  Rhoda married John Patrick Tierney; Walter married Agnes Smyth and had two daughters and one son; Daniel married Jessie Mill and had one daughter and two sons; Frederick married Rachel Homewood and had one son and two daughters; William married Lavinia Luke Hammer and had two sons and one daughter.

 

From newspaper records we have been able to follow the tragedy that hit Henry’s family in 1875 and the subsequent consequences.

On 18 January 1875 Henry and Louisa’s youngest daughter, 6 month old Ann, died.  A week later Henry’s wife Louisa died leaving Henry with six children aged 11 to 3 to look after.  The death of Louisa was reported in the local newspaper.

27 January 1875 Ballarat Courier

Funeral Notice: - The Friends of Mr Henry Titheridge are respectfully invited to follow the remains of his late wife to the place of interment, the Ballarat New Cemetery. The funeral procession to move from his residence. No. 3 Kipon Street South, this Day (Wednesday, the 27th instant), at half-past four o'clock.  W. B. KING, Undertaker, Start Street, near the Hospital.

Five months later Henry was in financial trouble and appeared in the list of insolvents in the newspaper.

19 June 1875  The Australasian Melbourne

Henry Titheridge, tailor, Ballarat.  Causes of insolvency—Sickness and death in family, and pressure of creditors. Liabilities, £82 8 shillings assets £27 deficiency £55 8s.

Obviously the deaths in the family, money problems and six young children to look after took its toll on Henry and in 1877 he was in trouble for drinking to excess.

13 January  1877 The Ballarat Star

Neglected Children — Five boys named Titheridge were charged, by Senior-Constable Crowley with being neglected.  It appeared that for some considerable time the father, a tailor, able to earn £3 a week, had been drinking heavily.  No one looked after the boys, who were allowed to run wild about the streets and get what meals they could from the people of Ascot Street, where their father lived.  Mr Gaunt asked Titheridge, who was in court, if he would amend his ways, and upon his promising to do so discharged the boys.

In 1878 a further tragedy hit the family when the youngest child Edward, aged 7 died.

Two years later Henry met an untimely death as reported in the papers of the time

7 January 1880 The Age Melbourne

Our Ballarat correspondent writes under yesterday's date Henry Tetheridge, who was locked up at the City police station on Monday, on a charge of drunkenness, died of epilepsy in the cells during the evening.  The police paid every possible attention to the unfortunate man, and his death was as sudden as unexpected.

7 January 1880  Geelong Advetiser

A tailor named Henry Titheridge, 43 years of age, died in the Ballarat City lock up on Monday in a fit, shortly after having been locked up for drunkenness

7 January 1880 Melbourne

A magisterial inquiry was held to day before Mr Budden into the cause of death of a man named Henry Tetheridge, a tailor, who died rather suddenly last evening in the lock up, where he had been incarcerated on a charge of drunkenness.  He had been attacked while there with epileptic convulsions, and was ordered to be removed to the gaol hospital, but before this could be done he expired.  A verdict of died from epilepsy was returned.

This left the five remaining children orphans Rhoda 16, Walter 15, Daniel 13, Frederick 11 and William 8.  We do not know what happened to the children were they taken into care? were the children looked after by 16 year old Rhoda? or were they looked after by their uncle Robert who  also resided in Ballarat but had 5 children of his own?

Robert’s Story

Robert travelled to Australia with his brother Henry and his trade was a carpenter.  On 24 September 1868 he married Alice Middleton in Ballarat. Between 1869 and 1884 Robert and Alice had nine children, three boys and six girls. The children were

Alfred born 1869 died 1941

Charlotte Ann born 1871 died 1909

Sarah Jane born 1874 died 1946

Agnes born 1875 died 1915

Robert born 1877 died 1946

Alice born 1879 died 1879

Albert born 1880 died 1886

Alice born 1883 died 1885

Ettie Edith born 1884 died 1885

Between 1879 and 1886 the four youngest children died,  Baby Alice died in 1879, the second child called Alice died in 1885 aged 2 and in the same year Ettie died aged under 1, then Albert died in 1886 aged 6.   Of the remaining children the two boys never married while the three girls married Charlotte married David Woodhead, Sarah married Richard Davenport and Agnes married William Pryor.   Hence there are no Titheridge offspring from the marriage of Robert and Alice.

Robert managed to get his name in the local papers on several occasions

4 June 1860 The Star Ballarat

Dray Offence.- Robt. Tetheridge, for being away from his horse and cart, was fined 5s.

August 1863 The Star Ballarat

Damaging Property - Robert Tetheridge was charged with having broken a square of glass in the shop-window of Mr Blair, valued at 20s. Fined ls and 20s damages.

Leader in Melbourne on 10, 17 and 24 December 1864 and 7 January  1865

Advertisement section     Robert Titheridge — Please write to your brother Alfred, at Williamstown, immediately.  Important news from home

This advert would have been in response to the boys’ mother Charlotte dying in Winchester on 13 June 1864.  The interesting thing is that the advert is only for Robert and not for Henry who as was also living in Ballarat.

 28 January 1873 The Ballarat Star

Deserting his Wife— Robert Tetheridge was charged with deserting his wife and two children, and

leaving them without any support on the 17th instant.  On the application of his wife the prisoner was discharged.  The court then adjourned.

Obviously relations improved as Robert and Alice went on to have 7 more children

Robert died in 1899 in Musk Vale in Ballarat aged 61, while his wife, Alice,  went on to live until 1926 when she died in Ballarat.

If you are related to Henry or Robert please get in touch, especially if you can tell us more about the new life in Australia for these two immigrants.  Today there is still quite a few Titheridges in Ballarat – if that is you we would love to hear from you.